Method of making cinematographic cartoon pictures.



C. M. AUMENT.

METHOD OF MAKlNG CINEMATOGRAPHIC CARTOON PICTURES. APPLlCATIQH man OCT.28. I915.

1 ,235,87 1 Patented Aug. 1917.

'GABBOIJL CM. .AUMENT, NEW BRUNSWICK, NEW JERSEY.

METHOD OF MAKING CINEMATOGRAPHIC CABTOQN PICTURES.

' Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. '7, 1917.

, Application filed October as, 1915. Serial No. 58,513.

To all whom it may concem:

Be it known that I, C4RROLL M. AUMENT, a citizen of the Uhited States,and resident of New Brunswick, county of Middlesex, State of New Jersey,have invented a new and useful Method of Making-Cinematoaphic' CartoonPictures, of which the folowing is a specification.

My invention consists in a simple, practical and inexpensive method toproduce cartoon motion pictures. This invention partially pertains tothe same .method of procedure in producing the cartoon or animatedmotion pictures as described in the patent to Bray 1,107,193,.Aug. 11,1914, or patent of Hurd 1,143,542, June 15, 1915, but the presentinvention is simpler, gives clearer and more distinct pictures, and thelabor and time involved in carrying out my method is much less than inthe method adopted by either of the above mentioned patentees.

A succession of pictures of drawings 1s taken,'but the scenephotographed is stationary. Each drawing photographed is slightlychanged in some respect and when the photographs of these drawings areprojected upon a screen in the usual mannor, the persons or objectsappear to move as inordinary motion pictures These anlmated cartoonsdifier from the ordinary moving pictures, in that as the drawings may befrom the imagination of the cartoonist rather, than from life, thepersons, animals or other objects drawn, may be represented asperforming acts'and assuming positions and expressions which may be madevery amusing and entertaining.

It is necessary that the difierences in the drawings which aresuccessively photo- .graphed be comparatively slight; otherwise when thepicture is made into the commercial moving picture film, the picturesproduced thereby will be irregular, and annoying, and diflicult to'follow.

Certain disadvantages of former methods of making these. pictures areovercome by me. For instance, instead of using a plurality ofbackgrounds printed and written upon, on very thin paper, I use oneperma I nent background, which is alargesheet of glass, which will bedescribed in detail later. Anotheradvantage is that no alinement of aplurality of sheetsor drawings is necessary. Another advantage is thesuperior tone and light efi'ects to which my method is particularlyadapted. The apparatus'used in my invention is an ordinary motionpicture camera, proper illuminating screens, and a sheet of glass. Thisglass is adapted to have drawings made upon either side by crayon,soapstone, slate pencil, or any other suitable substance, or a paintingwhich may be made by water colors, inks or ordinary paint. Either orboth sides of this glass may be frosted, to properly and more clearlytake the paint or the drawing placed upon it, or if desired a varnish,shellac. or soapy substance, may be originally placed upon the properside of the glass in order better to receiVe the drawing or paintingplaced upon it.

A better understanding of my invention may be had from the accompanyingdrawing, in which similar parts are referred to a by the same referencenumber throughout the difi'erent views;

Figure 1 shows the apparatus including camera, glass and illuminatingscreens in operative positions. l V

Fig. 2 is a view of the reverse side of the glass.

I Fig. 3 is an enlarged view of the reverse side of the glass with a newposition shown in dotted lines.

An ordinary motion picture camera 10 is placed before a piece of glass9, said glass being suitably prepared by frosting or coating as recitedabove. Upon the obverse side of this glass is drawn or painted asuitable scene. The glass is translucent so that of course the scenepainted upon it will be visiblefrom the reverse side. The glass 9 may bepositioned or arranged by suspending by cords 9 so that either sidemaybe quickly turned toward the camera.

When the picture shown in Fig. 1 on glass 9 is completed, it isphotographed by camera 10 and it is then in order to produce anotherpicture. Accordingly the operator who has worked upon the obverse sideof the glass goes behind the glass and views the rear side of thepicture.

to make a new picture by dotted lines on the reverse side, the changethat he desires to make. In the illustration 11 shows the picture of thelegs of the man as on the film; 11 shows the legs as viewed from thereverse side and b (in Fig. 3) shows the new position which the legswill Then he begins first making in take.

I The erator by viewing the old position on the o verse side is easilyand definitely able to tell just what the next or advanced pictureshould show. After he has outlined his prospective advanced picture onthe reverse side, he'again goes around to the obverse side and here hecan clearly see the dotted lines on the reverse side. He then removesthe legs of the original picture by erasing, or by a wet cloth, spiritsor by a paint or varnish remover, the original outline ofthe legs. Thenhe draws in the new position of the legs in proper alinement with thedotted line which he can easily see through the translucent glass.

In some cases it may not be necessary to work upon the reverse side ofthe glass, and he may directly make the new or advanced outline on theobverse side. work by going to either side of the picture or else byturning the glass through 180 degrees. By the latter means he can sit inthe same position and as the camera is also stationary, there is no lossof time by movingtheir respective operating positions. Furthermore, oneman can make the drawings,

and at the proper time go to the camera and red, yellow, green, etc., toproduce different colored effects and tones.

In order that o erator may clearly see 8, controlled through switchg12.In order that he may see the original picture when working from thereverse side I provide illuminating screen 16 showing lamps 8 controlledby switch 14.

My illuminating means clearly and distinctly shows the picture on theglass from a considerable distance and produces a very clear tone to thefilm.

Obviously other illuminating means could be used to accomplish the sameresult, but 111 structure operates well in practice.

tom the foregoing detailed description, the operation of 111 methodseems clear, and a fuller descriptlon is omitted.

By this method better tone fihns can be produced far more-quickly andwith less expense'than the present day methods.

. Obviously various changes may be made in details of my invention. Iclaim it broadly new to produce cinematographic cartoon mofving picturesby means 0 work- He can either ing on both sides of a glass placedbefore any photographic means in combination with proper illuminatingmeans.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new. and desire toprotect by Letters Patent is:

1. In the method of making motion picture filins from cartoon drawmgsand the I ont of the pane to represent a succeeding positionof themoving part, the representations of the moving part on the front andrear serving one as a ide in drawing the other.

2. The method graphic cartoon pictures which consists in making apicture on a transparent substance and slightly changing the outline ofthe picture on the reverse side of the transparent substance, thendrawing in this outline on the obverse side of the transparent substanceremoving an appropriate portion of the old outline and photographing it.

3. The method of producing moving pictures which consists in making apicture on the front of a sheet of glass, then photographing it, thenchanging the outhne of the lpicture by drawin 1n a new outline on theack of the sheet 0 glass, then using this outline on the back of thesheet of glass as a guide line for producing a'new picture on the frontsheet of the glass, then photoof producing cinematographing it toproduce a cinematographic 4. In the method of making motion picturefihns from drawings from pictures on' a pane of translucent material,the steps of drawing on the rear side of the pane the outline of amoving part of a picture on the front side of the pane and then changingthe picture onthe front of the pane to represent a. succeeding positionof the mov- 'ing part, the representations of the moving part of thefront and rear serving one as a ide. in drawing the other.

5. The method of making motion picture films from cartoon drawings andthe like, from pictures on a pane of, translucent material, said panehaving one side comparatively smooth and the reverse side ground orfrosted, comprising drawing or painting apicture on the smooth side ofsaid pane,

drawing an'outline of the movable parts of said picture on the reverseside thereof,

said outline registering with the outlines of the movable parts of saidpicture on' the smooth side of said one and serving as a guide for thesucceeding picture to be drawn or painted on the smooth side of saidpane,

illuminating said pane from thereverse side, takmg a hotographic film ofsaid picture, .erasing e movable parts of said pic 6. The method ofmaking motion picture films from cartoon drawings and the like, frompictures on a pane of translucent material, said pane havingcone sidecomparatively smooth and the reverse side ground or frosted, comprisingdrawing or painting a picture on the smooth side of said pane,

.. drawing an outline of the movable parts of said picture on thereverse side thereof, said outline registering with the outlines of themovable parts of said picture on the smooth side of said ane and servingas a guide for the succeeding picture to be drawn cor. ainted 0n thesmooth side of said pane,

taklng a photographic film of said picture, erasing the movable parts ofsaid picture and drawingor painting said movable parts differing inposition from the parts erased by a suitable degree,-chan'ging theoutlines of said movable arts on the reverse face of said pane toregister with the changed position of the movable parts on the smoothside of said pane, taking a photographic v film of said changed picture,and repeating the steps of the method to produce a length of motionpicture films.

7. The method of making motion picture films from cartoon drawings andthe like from pictures on a pane of diaphanous material comprisingdrawing or painting a picture on the front side of said pane, drawmg anoutline of the movable parts of said picture on the reverse sidethereof, said outline registering with the Outline of the movable partsof said picture on the front side of said pane and serving as a guidefor the succeeding pictures to be drawn or painted on the front side ofsaidpane, taking a photographic film of said picture, erasing themovable parts of said picture and drawing or ainting said movable partsdiffering in position from the parts erased by a suitable degree,changing the outlines of said movable parts on the reverse side of saidpane to register with the changed position of the movable parts on thefront side of said pane,'taking a photographic film of said changedpicture and repeating the steps of the method to produce a length ofmotion icture films.

CARROLL M. AUMENT.

